The Israeli government approved an agreement with Hamas on a ceasefire and the release of hostages in the Gaza Strip on the night of January 18.
The war between Israel and Hamas could continue if the second phase of the peace deal fails. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced this on Saturday, January 18, as quoted by The Times of Israel.
He noted that US President Joe Biden and President-elect Donald Trump have said Israel may return to fighting in Gaza if phases of the deal are not implemented.
The peace agreement will take effect at 8.30 am on Sunday, January 19, local time in Gaza (the same as in Kyiv). The IDF confirmed the start time of the truce in a statement.
Israeli officials said on January 18 that they were awaiting the names of the first three hostages, who were to be released on the evening of January 19. On the evening of January 18, in his office, Netanyahu said that Israel had not yet received the list of names, and this is already a violation of the terms of the agreement.
It is known that in the first phase of the operation, 737 Palestinian prisoners should be released from Israeli prisons, as well as 1,167 detained Gazans who were not involved in the attack on October 7. At the same time, Hamas, during a six-week ceasefire , is supposed to release 33 of the 98 Israeli hostages held in the Gaza Strip. Israeli authorities believe these hostages are still alive, but there has been no confirmation from Hamas.
According to sources close to the Palestinian group, three Israeli women will be released first. It is expected that on the night of January 19, the first hostages will be handed over to the Red Cross and rescue teams of Egypt and Qatar. The freed prisoners will be taken to Egypt and handed over to the Israeli side, who will provide a medical examination.
Representatives of Israel and the Hamas group in the capital of Qatar officially signed an agreement on a cease-fire in Gaza and the release of hostages.
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Source: korrespondent
I am David Wyatt, a professional writer and journalist for Buna Times. I specialize in the world section of news coverage, where I bring to light stories and issues that affect us globally. As a graduate of Journalism, I have always had the passion to spread knowledge through writing.